His voice, of course, is a new one for the Princeton men’s lacrosse team. He uses it each day in practice as he installs a new offensive system and tweaks the defensive principles of old. He used it last Saturday to scold his team. He uses it to confront the outsized expectations created by his Hall-of-Fame predecessor.

Bates spent the summer and fall acclimating to the Ivy League after 10 years as the head coach at Drexel. He will debut his No. 8 Tigers against No. 11 Hofstra at home Saturday afternoon.

Last June, after 22 years and six national championships, Bill Tierney left Princeton to take the head coaching job at the University of Denver. With Tierney, the Tigers were one of five programs to win a national title since 1977. Princeton was a schematic powerhouse: Air-tight defense, glacial but effective offensive. His 2009 team went 13-3 and finished in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.

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The school tabbed Dave Metzbower, Tierney’s long-time sidekick and offensive coordinator, as his replacement. But Metzbower balked at the offer so he could spend more time with his family. The search expanded. After 21 days, Princeton director of athletics Gary Walters hired Bates to direct a young but gifted squad.

Jack and Chris McBride, junior attackmen and cousins from Delbarton High, are back. So are sophomore defender Chad Wiedmaier, a second-team All-American, and sophomore goalie Tyler Fiorito, an honorable mention.

Both the players and Bates understand the expectations attached to the program. They can shape their own tradition now. “It’s not like Coach Tierney’s team anymore,” Fiorito said. “We can take it into our own hands.”

Some things will remain the same. The coaching community is close-knit. Bates says he learned much of his defensive philosophy from clinics and discussions with Tierney over the years. Plus, he brought along Greg Raymond, his lead assistant at Drexel and a Princeton assistant for three seasons, to coordinate the defense.

Some things have changed. The length of practice decreased and the tempo of practice increased, players say. The offense is new, a blend of styles Bates learned playing indoor, box-style lacrosse and searching for an edge with Drexel. Once deliberate, the Tigers will run and push for opportunities.

Bates grew up in Westchester County in New York, was a two-time All-Ivy League player at Dartmouth, graduated in 1990. He worked in a Manhattan ad agency and wanted to play for the New York Saints of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (now National Lacrosse League).

But, he says, he couldn’t get a try out. Walking around the Upper West Side one day, he ran into a friend from Philadelphia who mentioned the Wings, the city’s pro team.

Bates Fed-Exed a résumé — “I’m dating myself,” he said — to the club and hit the Turnpike for a tryout that weekend. He made the team and spent eight years as a pro. After that first season, he quit his job and moved to Philadelphia for graduate school at Temple (he would eventually earn a master’s degree from North Carolina).

In Philly, he got to know Randy Voigt, the head coach at Drexel. Bates joined the staff in 1995 and replaced Voigt in 2000. The Dragons won 70 games and lost 71 during his time. His team never made the NCAA Tournament, but they won a pair of regular-season Colonial Athletic Association titles and stunned then-No. 1 Virginia in 2007.

“Chris has always been a worker,” Virginia coach Dom Starsia said.

That work at Princeton started soon after getting the job in June. He commuted from his home outside Philadelphia. A few days before classes started, Bates gathered his seniors. They barbecued in the backyard of attackman Sam Hayes, tossed horse shoes and talked about the future.

The players were energized immediately after practice began Feb. 1, then they hit a lull. The Tigers slogged past Towson, 6-4, in that scrimmage, but they sagged for stretches. Fiorito shined. The offense looked muddled. Bates strained his voice.

“You’ve got to come with a sense of urgency,” he said.

Then he shrugged. This is his job. The expectations can change. The work doesn’t. His voice dipped.